Are your emails getting opened? Are you finding that your carefully crafted emails are ignored or deleted without even being opened? If so, you’re not alone. Email marketing is a complex art to master. There are a lot of rules, regulations, best practices, and more steps you need to follow to get your emails delivered and opened. 

In this article, we’ll explore some common reasons why your emails are getting ignored and what you can do to improve your email open rates.

Poor Subject Line

I’m sure you have heard you only get one chance to make a first impression. The same is true regarding email marketing, especially cold email marketing. Your subject line is your first impression on your recipient, and it’s crucial to make it count. A poorly crafted subject line can quickly turn off your recipient and prevent them from opening your email. Some common mistakes to avoid include the following:

1. Being too vague or generic: A subject line that is too vague or generic won’t give the recipient a good idea of what your email is about and may make them more likely to ignore or delete it.
2. Being too long: A subject line that is too long can get cut off in the recipient’s email inbox, making it harder to read and understand.
3. Using spammy words: Avoid using words that are commonly associated with spam emails, such as “free,” “buy now,” “act fast,” and “limited time.”
4. Using all caps or excessive punctuation: Using all caps or excessive punctuation can make your subject line appear aggressive or unprofessional and may turn off the recipient.
5. Failing to personalize: Personalization is key in B2B emails. Failing to personalize your subject line with the recipient’s name or company can make your email feel generic and impersonal.
6. Being too salesy: While it’s essential to communicate the value of your product or service, being too salesy can make your email feel pushy or manipulative.
7. Failing to provide value: Your subject line should communicate your email’s value to the recipient. Failing to do so can make your email seem like a waste of their time.
8. Using clickbaity or misleading language: Using clickbait or deceptive wording in your subject line can create false expectations for the recipient and ultimately damage your credibility.
9. Not conveying urgency: If there is a sense of urgency to the message of your email, make sure to say that in the subject line. Failing to do so can reduce the likelihood that the recipient will take action.
10. Using jargon or technical terms: If your subject line is full of technical terms or jargon that the recipient may not understand, it can be a turnoff and decrease the likelihood of your email getting opened.

To improve your subject lines:

• Focus on making them relevant, personalized, and concise.
• Don’t try to deceive your recipient.
• Use language that speaks directly to their needs or interests.
• Highlight the value or benefit they can expect by opening your email.

Poor Timing

Timing is everything, especially when it comes to email marketing. You may have a fantastic email, but it may only get opened if you send it at the right time. For example, sending an email on a Monday morning when people are just getting back to work and sorting through their inboxes may not be the best idea. Similarly, it is not a good idea to send an email late at night after people have left work or on a Friday afternoon when people are thinking about their weekend plans. 

To improve your timing, you must experiment with different times and days to determine when your audience will most likely engage with your emails. Try sending your emails when your recipient will most likely check their inbox. What times of the day do you check your inbox? For many professionals, this could be early in the morning or later in the evening. You can also experiment with different send times and measure your results to find the optimal timing for your audience.

A quick Google search will reveal some of the best days and times to send emails. There are also email marketing tools that offer features like A/B testing, which can help you determine the best time to send your emails. It’s also essential to consider your audience’s time zone, as sending an email at the right time for your time zone may not be suitable for people in other parts of the world. 

Spam Filters

If your email triggers spam filters, it’s likely to land in your recipient’s spam folder and never be seen. Spam filters protect users from unwanted or harmful emails, so it’s essential to avoid using spammy words or phrases in your subject line or email body. Some common spam triggers to avoid include using all caps or exclamation points, deceptive or misleading language, or too many links or images.

To improve your deliverability and avoid spam filters, ensure you’re sending from a reputable email address and follow best practices for email marketing. You can also use a spam checker tool to scan your email content and identify potential issues.

Poor Sender Reputation

If your email address has a poor sender reputation, your emails are more likely to end up in your recipients’ spam folders or not be delivered at all. Especially if your email address is associated with spam, a large number of bounces, or other undesirable content. Internet service providers (ISPs) use complex algorithms to determine whether an email is spam. If your sender’s reputation is poor, your emails may be flagged as spam, regardless of the content of the email. To avoid this problem, do the following:

• Maintain a good sender reputation. 
• Follow email marketing best practices. 
• Avoid spam triggers in your email content.
• Send emails only to people who have opted into your list. 
• Regularly monitoring your sender’s reputation. 

Conclusion

While it can be frustrating to see low open rates on your emails, there are many reasons why this may be happening. You can improve your email open rates by following the strategies above. Whether it’s personalizing your emails, improving your sender reputation, avoiding spam filters, crafting engaging, valuable, and relevant subject lines, or experimenting with different send times, there are many tactics you can use to increase your open rates and achieve your email marketing goals.

Having problems with your lead generation and email marketing? let the experts at Pubconnections help you create a automated outreach strategy that delivers results.

Lonnie Horsey
Pubconnections